The Prince Prisoner
by 4gardiean
Summary: An Easterling prince finds himself a captive after a battle gone wrong. Now he has to find a way to deal with it and look after his people.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** There is some treatment of women discussed which fits within the period the story takes place. But in this time, it is not accepted. I want you all to know: I do not agree with such treatment of women at all.

* * *

**TA 3019, Pellenor field**

Scourging over the field, a young man looks for weapons or clothing left on the field. He would prefer to spend time with his men but then his captors expect all prisoners to clean the battlefield. Cleaning while the captors watch on and take what has been found and they like. Meanwhile, the women who accompanied them are now cooking for their captors and themselves. Another thing their captors insisted on. Even though they do not speak the same language, the instructions and expectations of their captors are clear for all.

Looking at the sky, Torgan wonders how this could have happened. Chuckling to himself, he knows that he and Naran already discussed it before. But he also knows that it will not harm to consider it again. It might give him insights he did not have earlier. He needs to know what happened.

Looking towards the port, Torgan is shocked by what he sees. Strange men come out of the back ships which should have brought allies. They look like the men who live in this land. A black standard with a white tree, stars, and crown is raised. Almost immediately after leaving the ships, they attack his men and allies.

Torgan grasps his sword tightly. He knows that there is nothing else for him to do. He needs to fight. One of the men comes at him. He blocks a slash. Immediately, he strikes back. The strike makes contact with a loud clang. Gritting his teeth, Torgan takes a step back. He tries again. This time, his strike hits his attacker. His attacker goes down holding his hand to his chest.

Turning around, he quickly surveys the battlefield. It is absolute chaos. Everyone is fighting for their lives. The new men who came are pushing them back. And where they are pushed to the riders are attacking. All in all, it does not look good. Looking for his men, he sees them fighting not too far away from him. Seeing this, he quickly makes a decision.

"To me! Gather around me!"

At his calls, his men fight their way back to him. He notices this but vaguely. He is too focused on fighting to keep himself alive. He continues to strike men down who attack him. Sweat drips from his brow. His muscles ache and tremble. Gathering his men together is the only way he knows that he can ensure the survival the most. Just as his men gather around, riders surround them. He hears gear rumbling and men panting. He sees swords being raised.

"Stand down! Surrender!"

To show the riders what he said, Torgan drops his sword onto the ground. He falls to his knees. His hands he places behind his head. He bows his head to the ground. He hears his men reluctantly following his example. This causes the riders to begin whispering. Hearing this, sweat starts to drip from his brow again. Biting his lip, Torgan wonders what they are talking about. Has he made the right decision?

Suddenly, his hands are seized and pulled behind his back. A hash rope is quickly bound around it. Smiling tight-lipped, he knows that there is no way back for him now. Nor for his men. Whether he made the right decision or not, does not matter. The path they are on now, they have to follow.

In hindsight, it is clear that the battle turned against them with the arrival of the black ships and the strange men. Their arrival turned the battle around benefiting the defenders. Instead of being on the winning path, they went to the losing path. The standard that was raised showed the arrival of a lord. Which lord, he does not know. It makes it all the more clear that they did not have enough time to learn about this land. He feared this already before the battle started and they were moving into formation. Suddenly, he is slapped on the back of his head.

"What do you think you are doing! Keep working! No slacking!"

Well, that made it clear that his lapse in progress has been noticed. Torgan is quick to go back to his work. He does not want to be punished again. Especially, since he considers the slap a punishment.

Torgan works hard while considering the future of his men. It does not look bright. They will most likely be prisoners for some time. What happens after that is uncertain. He does not know this land and its habits. As such he cannot make an accurate assessment. They could be killed, made slaves or send home in disgrace.

Looking around the field, he sees something glittering. He walks towards it and picks it up. Looking at it, he sees that he is holding a dagger of unknown make in his hands. The dagger has a horse head on the hilt. Near to the dagger, he can see torn clothing, a helmet, and a sword. The helmet also has a depiction of a horse on it. He picks these two things up and brings them to the place where they are to be gathered. Then he goes back to find other things.

Sometime later, Torgan is digging through a pile of dirt for he saw something in it. The smell of it is horrible. Turning his head away from it, he takes a deep breath. He needs some fresh air to be able to keep going. It is then that he sees a group walking up to the field. Frowning and tilting his head to the side, he takes a closer look at the group.

He is easily able to pick the guards out from among the group. Among the guards walk two men and a woman. The men look like those who came of the ships. If the men in the city look similar to these two, he does not know. He did not have the time to look at them. The woman, on the other hand, does not look similar to the men. Instead, she looks similar to his captors.

Quickly turning back to the awful pile, he digs through it again. He has no interest in new punishments. But he knows that he will keep an eye on the happening with the group by glances. One thing he can tell from his observations is that his captors and the men in these lands must be close allies. But it does not explain the woman's presence. He cannot seem to f8nd a reason for her presence. As such he decides to leave it to what it is.

It is then that he feels metal against his hand. Smiling, he knows that he has finally found what he saw and was looking for. Pulling it out of the pile, he sees himself holding a necklace. It is a simple necklace with no decorations. Most likely belonging to a man to hold a ring or something similar. He has seen such things with some men in the past. A woman's necklace always has decorations in his experience.

Taking a quick look at the group, he sees them talking to one of his captors. If he sees it right then they are talking to his captors' captain. The men are talking to each other and the woman has disappeared somewhere. He tries to understand what the men are saying. But because of the distance, he is unable to hear what they say. Still, there is one thing he can tell from this distance: one of the men seems to be pleased with what he is told.

Standing up, Torgan walks to the gathering place and places the necklace there. If he keeps looking at the meeting, then it will be noticed by his captors. As he walks, he considers what he just saw. It was a meeting between the captain and one of his superiors. He tells himself to do his best in discovering the subject of the meeting. And why one of the men seemed pleased. That might give him some insight into the future for his people and him. Not that he can much affect it. If he can affect it, that is.

Having placed the necklace down, he walks back to the field. There he looks for further things to gather. At this time, he sees how men are guiding horses in pulling the giant beasts away from the field. Those beasts the Shah's people use for war and transport. Other men, he can see digging holes for the deceased to be buried in. Torgan would have preferred to be aiding either of those groups. But he got assigned to the group searching for objects. Why he does not know. But this has him thinking about the treatment all the prisoners receive.

He knows, as he experiences it himself, that the men who do not work hard enough are hit or otherwise punished. Women are, among others, used for the men's pleasure. For as far as he knows, Naran is not one of them. Mostly, because she seems to have gained respect from one of the captains. Something which but few women seem to be able to gain. He is grateful for Naran. Still, he is unhappy with the way the other woman are treated. If that is the full extent of the treatment they receive. He is not always around so he cannot be sure about the full extent of their treatment.

Shaking his head, he starts to search through an area that has not yet been searched. He can worry himself all he wants. As he cannot affect the treatment, it has little use for him to worry about it. He will only stress himself even more without being able to lose it. Especially, since he is already stressed by his captivity.

With his decision to go to the area, he ensures that he has something to do. There is one thing he does promise himself. He will do all he can to have the woman treated better than they are now.

* * *

**Prisoner camp **

Arriving back at the camp, Torgan takes a quick look at the camp. He is pleased with what he sees. Everyone is helping each other finish tonight's dinner. With this in mind, he goes to check on Naran. He wants to know what has happened in the camp when the men were in the fields. She is the best source of information he knows of.

As he is focused on finding Naran, he does not notice the way the men and women are talking to each other. He starts his search in the center of the camp. Having not found her there he moved to their yurt. As she is also not there, he moves around the camp. It takes him some time but eventually he finds her at the edge of the camp.

Walking up on Naran, he sees boils and herbs lying around her on blankets. Besides these, boxes and satchels Naran uses to store herbs lie scattered beside her. She has been gathering herbs when she found the time to do so. Having found them, she is now preparing them to be stored.

Smiling affectingly, he places his hands on her shoulder once he reaches her. He feels her stiffening under his hands. Her hands come up and placed on his.

"Torgan? Is that you?"

"Yes, did you expect someone else?"

"No, I do not expect anyone else. In fact, I did not expect anyone to approach me here. Is there something with which I can help you?"

"Maybe. I would like to know what had happened in the camp while the men were away? If you could tell me that then you help me a lot."

He smiles wryly at himself. He is confident that she can tell him that. When Naran turns with a bemused expression on her face he knows that she knows the same thing.

"Well, I do know what has happened and it is not much. Or at least not much that would be of much interest."

"And what is that which is of interest?"

There must be something of interest else she would have told him that. By saying not much, she implied just that.

"Well, a captain came and talked to some of the guards. About what I do not know. Chingay might know more about it. From what I heard he was close enough to the guards when the captain came that he could have overheard them talking."

Of course, his lieutenant would know about it. Chingay always managed to gather the information he needed. Even if he did not know he needed it at the time that it was gathered.

"Thank you, Naran. I will ask him about it. Do you need help with anything."

"Not at this time. But when I am done, I would appreciate some aid in carrying everything back to our yurt."

She waves with her hands in an attempt to tell him to go. Torgan stubbornly stays standing where he is. There is one more thing he needs to know before he will leave.

"When do you expect to be done, Naran? If you tell me then I will have some of the women aid you."

Naran tilts her head and gets a thoughtful look on her face. He suspects that she is considering what time she needs to finish her work. A suspicion that she confirms not long afterward.

"In about an hour, I guess."

He nods towards Naran and leaves then. Making his way back to the camp, he considers where he will most likely find Chingay. He can only come up with two possible places. One is with the horses and the other is the center of the camp. He came to this decision based on his knowledge of Chingay. Knowing that the horses are on the other side of the camp from where he is, Torgan decides to head to the center of the camp first. From there he can make his way to the horses if need be.

While walking to the center of the camp, he takes a good look at the camp. This time he has the time to do so. He sees how all the yurts are in order from what he can see on the outside. Around the yurts, he sees familiar chaos. It is the chaos of a camp being used to which he is quite used. The only thing that he is not used to is the presence of the guards. They stand on the outside of the camp and a few within.

Arriving at the center of the camp, he sees that most women are here. Some of the men, he can see either sitting or moving around. Taking a look, he notices that Chingay is not here. Just as he wants to walk towards one of the women, Okin, one of his men, addresses him.

"My prince, can I aid you with anything?"

"Yes, you could tell me where Chingay is at this time."

He has an idea as to what answer he will receive from Okin. It will not hurt to ask if someone is offering aid. It will only serve to tell him if his belief is right. Also, it gives him another person to task with aiding Naran.

"I believe he went to check on the horses. He wanted to ensure that they will be well cared for. Even if our captors always care for all the horses."

"Thank you, Okin. Could you gather some men or women and aid Naran in about an hour. She needs to carry all the healing supplies she made back to the camp. She asked me to send some people to aid her."

"Of course, my prince. I will organize a group. Do not worry about it."

"Good, then I will go seek Chingay out."

With that, he leaves and makes his way to the horses. His belief was right based on Okin's words. He did refrain from mentioning to Okin that Chingay made the right decision in his mind. It is something which he will tell Chingay. Even though he is certain that his lieutenant will already know that. It is not something which Okin needs to know.

Walking to the hoses, he can see that he is entering an open area where a few yurts of his people stand. Besides these, there are also a few yurts from their captors that stand here. Or at least he believes that they belong to their captors. The yurts are non-descriptive but of green color. There are no decorations on them. He finds it strange for he is used to seeing decorations. The shape of these yurts is not like any he has seen before. As such he believes that they belong to their captors. They will most likely be used by the guards when they are on duty.

Looking ahead, he can see the horses in the distance. There he can see some of the men standing. Most men he identifies by their armor as their captors. One man is not wearing armor but clothing more like what he wears. Or at least that is what he can see from the distance. Still, he believes that this person must be Chingay.

As he approaches the group, he notices that he can get quite close to them. Once he is close to them, he sees that Chingay is watched by the golden-haired people. These people use horse heads on their weapons and helmets.

At that time, a guard turns around facing him. Almost immediately two hands grab his arms from behind restraining him. He did not notice anyone coming up behind him. He hears the one that turned asking him something but does not understand what they are saying. They speak a language he does not know in comparison to those who oversaw them on the field.

This has Torgan moving with his head in the direction of Chingay. He hopes that they will understand his message. He is here to talk to Chingay. Not to create problems. He does not use his hands for this since he cannot use his hands to point. With his hands restrained, he only has his head to sign. Speaking will be of no use since they do not speak the same language.

After some time repeating the movement, his arms are let loose. Chingay is pushed towards him moments later. It is then that the men mention to the camp. Looking at Chingay, he raises his eyebrow to try and gauge his impression of what they were just told to do.

"I think that they want us to return to the camp, my prince."

"I thought so too."

Suddenly he is turned around by rough hands and pushed forward. Stumbling, he struggled to stay standing and not fall onto the ground. Once he is satisfied that he has found his balance again, Torgan walks into the direction of the camp. the guards were unhappy that they did not move when they were directed to do so. Or at least that is the only explanation he can come up with for their recent behavior.

As he walks, Chingay catches up with him quickly. Chingay moves to walk beside him. The guards walk behind them if the sounds of boots hitting the ground are any indication. Torgan walks with his eyes forward. He does not dare to look at Chingay. He does not know if the guards will accept it. And considering their recent behavior, he does not want to take any risks. After some time, he takes a deep breath and finally asks about the horses.

"How are the horses doing?"

"They are doing fine, my prince. Their coat has been freshly cleaned as well as their hooves. The tacks are freshly polished. It will last for a long time. I am right that we are stuck here for quite some time?"

Chingay tilts his head and frowns. Torgan knows that Chingay wants confirmation of his belief. Even though Chingay will be fairly certain about it. Else he would not have told him that the tacks will last for a long time. Looking Chingay in the eye quickly, Torgan nods.

"You are right. We will be stuck here for some time. How long, I do not know for that will depend on the lords that rule here. They will tell us when we can leave. But you know that, right?"

Looking at Chingay from the corner of his eye, he frowns. Torgan does the same thing that Chingay did before. At Chingay's nod, he continues.

"Now that I mentioned the lords, do you perhaps know what the captain said to the guards under his command? I know that the captain came from Naran."

As he asks this, Torgan risks glancing at Chingay with his head fully turned. So far he has not turned his head fully when he looked at Chingay. He truly hopes that Chingay can answer the question as Naran said. Else he would not know who to turn to. The grin on Chingay's face tells him that he is most likely right in his belief that Chingay knows about it. When Chingay tilts his head, he becomes even more sure about it.

"Maybe I know about it. But why would you want to know about it."

"Because it will most likely concern our people what was said by the captain. I want to know about it so that I know what we can expect."

"Not much what was being said there, my prince. All the captain said was that the men could no longer use the women as they have been doing till then. Orders that came from the steward apparently. There also seem to be women returning who do not mind doing such things."

"That is good to know for our women. Do you know anything about the steward? Is it an elderly man? For the only ones I saw were young men."

"I have not seen him, Torgan. I would not know. I am sure that you would know that better. But I am sure that we will learn that in time who the steward is. The elderly man you know of or one of the younger men you saw."

"I agree."

Silence stretches between them then. Torgan uses it to consider what he has learned. He knows now that the treatment of the woman will be bettered. Unfortunately, he could not do anything about it. It gives him mixed feelings. Happy for the improvement but unhappy for his inability to have done anything about it. Still, he accepts that women will be treated better now. That is what is most important. Not his feelings.

At the same time, he wonders about the steward. He has heard rumors that the one he knew to be steward is dead. This man was older and went by the name Denethor. But as Chingay has not seen the steward he will have to leave it to it. Only once he is brought to their captor's leaders will he be able to discover of the rumor is true.

Lifting his head, he focuses on walking back to camp. There is no need for him to upset their captor anymore.


	2. Chapter 2

**Pelennor fields**

Weeks later, Torgan has become used to the routine everyone follows right now. In the morning, everyone wakes for a communal breakfast in the camp before the men go to the fields. Some of the women join them while the remainder stays behind to prepare lunch for everyone. Those women who join them are normally tasked with packing whatever they found or cleaning used clothes and other materials. In the afternoon, those who stayed at the camp bring lunch to the fields. There everyone eats together before going back to work. This continues until the evening where everyone is allowed some free time after dinner.

As for the fields, they have been working on them for the past weeks now. First, it was cleaning up the battle aftermath. This was not always a nice thing to do. Once the cleaning was done work turned to prepare the field for next years. This means ensuring that the farmers who lived here can sow the ground again. Their houses and other buildings needed to be rebuilt which was another task for them to do. It has kept everyone busy.

Right now, Torgan is working on rebuilding another shed when he notices a group moving towards the city. The group is talking excitedly among each other. This same excitement he has noticed before in his captors. He also noticed it in other groups he saw moving towards the city. There have been many groups doing that in the past week. All those groups were excited. Based on this, he is certain that something is going on. But what it is he does not know.

Placing a board next to the last one that was secured with nails, Torgan waits for another man to secure it with nails. He ensures that it stands securely while waiting. It would not do for the board to fall and injure anyone

The time he has to wait, he uses to consider what could be going on. Some time ago, he saw a large bird flying towards the city. There it hovered before speaking. the bird spoke in the language of these lands. Whatever the bird said, it must have been good news. Especially since it results in much cheering coming from the city. When he looks towards the east of the fields, he could no longer see the black clouds. They had disappeared. All this combined told him that the Shadow was defeated.

As for the bird, he is still convinced that it is some kind of local spirit. But back to the groups moving towards the city. Could they be coming here to feast? Or is there some other reason for their gathering?

Well, he will have to seek someone out who knows answers. Chingay could explain to him what the captain talked about some weeks ago. Maybe he can do it this time also? Well, only one way to find out if Chingay knows about it. Once it is time for lunch, he will seek him out.

For the next hours, Torgan and the men work hard on rebuilding the sheds and other buildings. By the time lunch is brought, he is panting. Sweat drips down his face which feels hot. His muscles cramp.

Looking at the shed, he sees that they have not come very far yet. Only two wall stand. Another two and the doors need to be built. As well as the roof constructed. Torgan sighs. He would have liked to have made more progress then how he feels is justified.

Shaking his head, he turns away from the shed and walks towards where the women stand with lunch. He wonders again why they have to build everything like this. Constructing buildings out of wood and stone takes so much time. He suspects that they will need a day to build just one shed. Especially, if their current pace is anything to go by.

He does not understand why they cannot build everything like they do at home. Where they to do that then they would have been able to have two sheds standing already. As well as multiple houses. It continues to confuse him. And an end to his confusion is not yet in sight.

Arriving at the lunch place, he shakes his head once more. He needs to leave his confusion about what it is. Instead, he needs to focus on eating lunch and finding Chingay. Looking around the camp, he is quick to find familiar faces. But not yet the one he is looking for. Sometime later, while looking carefully over the area, he locates Chingay. Chingay apparat to be busy with something. But because of his distance, he cannot see what it is.

Walking up on Chingay, he can finally see what his lieutenant is doing. He sits with a few warriors laughing about something. Smiling, Torgan knows that they are having fun. Chingay was most likely explaining something to them which they find funny. Torgan knows that but does not need to consider what he will do now. He will join them in their fun. After he has asked Chingay about the movement of people, that is.

"My prince, have you come to join us?"

Chingay is quick to respond when he saw him coming. Not really surprising. Chingay looks at him with frowned eyebrows. A look which is mirrored by the other men. But what differs between Chingay and the men is that Chingay's eyes spark with mischief.

Stroking his chin, Torgan takes some time to consider how to respond. He could hear the hint of teasing in Chingay's voice which is confirmed by the mischievous look in his eyes. And as he does not want to take the bait, he needs to be careful with his reaction. When he has his reaction figured out, Torgan speaks up.

"Maybe, I have. But I actually came because I would also like to ask Chingay something."

"What would you want to ask me? There are no problems with the guards or among our people."

Torgan struggles to keep his amusement from his face. It serves Chingay right to be confused. His tilted head and frowned eyebrows clearly tell him that. He lets it stretch for some time before deciding to release him from his confusion.

"Oh, but it does not concern those reasons. I would like to know if you know anything about the reason why so many locals are coming to the city. And most importantly, why they are all so excited."

"You can imagine that yourself. They are happy that we were defeated and their land not taken possession off."

"That is not all there is. You know that."

"No, it is not. I have heard tales of the return of the king of this land. Apparently, a coronation is on hands. Or at least if he understands the rumors correctly. As there has not been a king in these lands for a long time, I suspect that the people are all excited about it. They will all want to witness it if they can. Especially, if it is the first king in a long time to be crowned. I certainly would want to witness it. Just like these men."

Chingay mentions the men that sit around him who all not in agreement. It is a statement he can understand. Who would want to miss the coronation of a king when there has not been a king in a long time? Torgan imagines but few people. He nods to Chingay to show that he understands what was being told. He will consider the implications of it later when he has the time for it. Right now, he intends to spend some time with these men and eat his lunch. He needs to be around his men to know how they are coping with their situation.

This is also what he does for the next twenty minutes. He eats and talks with the men. It gives him the feeling as if he is either at home or in a military camp. At the same time, he learns how his men are coping. They seem to be doing as fine as can be considering the situation. Once, he knows this he spends his time comparing stories and joking with them. It makes him feel so comfortable that he loses track of the time.

Hearing the sound of the guards calling everyone back to work, Torgan sighs. It certainly works to pull him out of a comfortable feeling. He stands up and walks back to the field. He knows that lunch is over and it is time to go back to building the shed he was working on before lunch. As he sees how the guards look at them, he decides that considering the implications of Chingay's words will have to wait longer. He would have liked to consider it during his work. But then, it will not do to upset his captors unnecessarily.

* * *

That evening Torgan makes his way back to his yurt feeling bone tired. The work has been more exhausting today than it was on other days. He hopes that it will not be a common occurrence for the future. He does not know how long he will be able to keep going then. The same counts for plenty of his men. Their captors have been treating them well but he does not want to know what they will do once a man cannot work anymore. His previous experiences with prisoners treating such men have not been good. Experiences he gained from watching allies and neighbors.

Reaching his yurt, he does not look around it. He quickly lies down and finally finds the time to consider the implications of Chingay's words. It is at this time that he lets his emotions loose. The first emotion that he feels is shock. The shock that there is an heir to the throne. He knew from the Shadow and his scouts that this is a kingdom without a king ruled by a steward. But for the Shadow to omit the survival of an heir to the throne? What does it mean? Did the Shadow not trust him? Or did the Shadow not know about it.

The last option, he dismisses quickly with a shake of his head. He has known the Shadow long enough to know that it is not possible. The Shadow always seems to know what is going on in the other lands. Or at least to have a feeling about it.

Having sorted this emotion out, the second appears. It is the worry he has for the future of his people. Had the Shadow told him then he might have known something about the new king. Right now, he knows nothing. Not even if the king is benevolent or cruel and harsh.

Scratching his head, he grimaces. It irritates him that he does not know what kind of man the king is. He does not like it at all. Actually, he has never liked it when he could not tell anything about a person he will be having dealings with. It is worse when the lack of knowledge of a person affects his people. Instead of merely affecting him in his task. As of right now, without knowing what kind of man the king is he cannot be sure what their future will bring for his people.

Still, he allows himself to hope. And he hopes for a benevolent king. That way their future will not look bleak as when the king is cruel and harsh. No, a benevolent king will give everyone hope to be able to return home in time. He is aware that their return home will have to wait for some time. Most likely months if not a year or longer. Still, having a prospect of a return home will make everything much more bearable. Closing his eyes, he tells himself that he will find a way for everyone to deal with the king.

* * *

**The throne room, Minas Tirith**

Torgan wiggles nervously in the guards' grip. They stand currently at the back of the throne room. If he is right, then no one will see them here. This place strikes him as a concealed waiting area. Before him, he can see a white throne at the top of the stairs. On the bottom of those stairs stand two chairs. One is black, the other gray. He does not know who they belong to for certain. As he knows that this land had a steward before the king's return, that is to who he believes one of the chairs might belong to. It does not explain the other one though.

Rumbling in the room pulls his attention back to the room and the people who stand there. He sees that the room is crowded. As the king has only been here for a few days now, it shows how much the people already love their king So much as to await him in such numbers. This thought brings him back to how he came to be in this room.

_Torgan is working quietly on some tools that have been damaged. Repairing them is his task for today. Not a task he is happy with it. He is no craftsman. He is a warrior. He does not know if he will repair the tools adequately. He might actually damage them more in his attempt to repair them. Picking up a rag, he polished it since he knows that doing nothing will not help him at all. Once he has it shining, Torgan can see the damage that has been done to it._

_Sighing annoyed, he wonders how he will ever repair it. There is a crack into it and that has to be filled with something. But what that something is, he does not know. He looks around himself to see if he can find anything. Only once he has found that will he make himself a fire to meld the metal. Hopefully, his repair will be passable._

_Torgan sees a variety of things lying beside him. He looks them all carefully over. One of the things, he sees is just what he needs. Smiling, he is about to reach for it when he hears boots approaching him._

_Turning his head to the side and frowning, he considers the sound. It does not sound like the boots the guards wear. It has a more metallic sound to it. Or does the sound come from something else than the boots? He decides to turn his head into the direction the sound comes from. What he sees shocks him._

_He sees two guards dressed black cloth covered by metal armor approaching him. On the armor's breastplates, he can see a white tree. It looks similar to the tree he saw on the standard during the battle. He frowns. Does this mean that they serve whoever the standard belongs to? He does not know. He knows that the stewards also use a tree. Does the tree on the plates belong to them? Or does it belong to the new king?_

_Torgan shakes his head. Thinking about it will only serve to confuse him. He has never been close enough to see the details of the standard and banners that fly over the city. He needs to focus on the guards that are approaching him. They are what is important right now. Or at least, the reason for their approach of him._

_Thinking about the reason for their presence also has him frowning. He does not know why they would be coming to the camp. There is nothing of interest for them here for as far as he knows. Smiling amused, he knows that he has been able to grasp the meaning of some words in the local language. But not enough to be able to understand what they deem of interest._

_Looking at the guards once more since he lowered his head during his musing, he sees the distance they are away from him. It is not very far. At the same time, he is confused. He does not why they would need him. He keeps an eye on the guards. Once they get close to him, Torgan puts whatever he has in his hands on the ground. It would not do to damage anything. Nor to have this place become disorganized. It will make the work for his replacement more difficult. This since he believes that the guards will reach out to him._

_Reaching him, two hands grasp his shoulder and pull him to his feet. Now he knows for certain that they came for him. Not that he had much doubt about their objective and actions. The guards keep a strong hold on his arms as they march him over the field. Together, they walk over the fields he has been working on for weeks now at a fast pace. As they do this, Torgan sees that all his men are busy with their tasks. Most do not notice their passing but some do see them. He can imagine what goes on in their minds. They must be wondering what is going on. He is certain that the rumors will fly among his men soon enough. Most likely before the hour is over._

_They walk for a while before entering the city and walking up to the higher levels. He notices this because of the way they climb. But he cannot see much of what they are passing for the guards push him too hard to do just that. Instead, he has to work with the glimpses he can catch from the city._

_These glimpses tell him that the lower two levels are badly damaged. The first more so than the second. The damages come from fire and impacts from war machines. The other levels are crowded but relatively undamaged. They could not touch much of those levels from the outside. They were simply too high. All this tells him what he already knew from the battle. The fighting occurred on the lower levels._

_Darkness falls over him and he looks up frowning. Where are they now? Why is it so dark? During the climb, they never went through such darkness. Where are they guiding him to? Sweat appears on his brow. Torgan works to keep his breath even. Looking around he tries to get his bearing. In the distance, he manages to catch a glimmer of light. Are they in a tunnel? His struggle with his breathing lesses at seeing the light. Soon he will know why they entered this tunnel. Coming out of the tunnel, he enters a square. Again, he does not have time to look at the square. He is pushed towards a tower. That is the way he came to be in this room._

Excited whispering pulls him from his recollections. Just in time for him to see the two men who he was visiting a few weeks ago. They enter the room dressed in elaborate clothing. Now, he knows for certain that the men are nobles. Their clothing tells him this. The men make their way to the chairs that he saw earlier. He suspects that the women, who accompanied them a few weeks ago, is most likely also a noble.

After the men sit down, someone calls something in the distance. Torgan gets the impression that someone is being announced. At least it would explain why the people all look in one direction afterward. The bowing they do has him believing that it was the king who was announced.

This belief has him remembering the words that were being said. The king's name was in all likelihood mentioned. Even if he does not know the language, he is confident that he can pick the name out. Who knows how helpful it will be for him? After some time, he has discovered what he believes the name to be. This name he whispers to himself to test its pronation.

"Elessar."

Once his guards notice it they tighten their grip on their hands. Some angry whispering is followed by it. Torgan presses his lips together. He does not need to understand what they said. They want him to be quiet.

Torgan looks up and follows the king as he walks into the room. He is dressed elaborately like the nobles he saw earlier. The only difference is that the king wears a white mantle. He sees how the king sits down on his throne. A sword is laid over his legs.

Only then can Torgan consider what he now knows about his current situation. The knowledge he has, has him frowning. Is this why he is here? To be judged by the king? This thought worries him. What will it mean for him? And for his people? Will they be sold into slavery? Killed? He hopes that neither is the case and that they will be allowed to return home in time. They never worked freely for the Shadow. To be punished for that would be unfair.

Torgan takes a few deep breaths to calm him down. He could feel himself starting to panic. It will not help him at all if he gets a panic attack right now. He smiles amused at himself. He has never gotten a panic attack during battles. But now that he might be judged by a stranger he nearly does. It is highly amusing to him. This thought calms any anxiety he felt down.

Torgan also knows that he needs to look calm when he is brought before the king. It will not do to appear scared. That might even work against him. A king cannot show compassion to a panicking person for then everyone would act like that. And more importantly, scared people have often something to hide. At least, that is the experience he has. Also, if they do not have anything to hide then they tell everyone of who they are afraid. They do it then with their behavior.

While considering all this, he also listens carefully to what is being said. He hears names being called out. People talking with the king. And the king talking to the people who stand before his throne. Because of the language difference, Torgan does not understand anything that is being said. After some time, someone else is called forward. From earlier experience, he knows that it is not a name that is called out but something else. Whatever is being called out does not sound like a name. Frowning, he wonders what is going on. Who is being called forward?

The answer comes shortly afterward. The guards who hold him walk in the direction of the throne and pull him with them. He reluctantly walks with them. Not that he has much of a choice. They will drag him with them if he does not comply. At the same time, he knows now that he will learn what the future has in store for him. With the future meaning the king's plans for him and his people.

Arriving at the foot of the stairs leading to the throne, the guards stop walking. He glimpses at the guards and sees them bowing to the king. Afterward, the hands let loose off his arms.

Moments later, they appear on his shoulder. The hands push his shoulders down forcing him to kneel on the floor before the king. Touching the ground with his knees, he feels how cold the tiles are. His knees freeze from the coldness of the floor.

"What is your name, captain of the eastern plains?"

Torgan looks up at the king. His eyes widen in shock. How does the king know the eastern trade language? He is certain that the king spoke in that language. He gapes in shock at the king. The king looks sternly at him.

Moments later, his face heats up. How could he be so stupid? A king is never looked into the face. Doing so is highly disrespectful. Speaking of disrespectful, it is also disrespectful to not answer a question that is asked. Taking a deep breath, he answers the question.

"My name is Torgan son of Sagra, Khan of the eastern plains, holy and exalted majesty. I am humbled by Your Greatness that you address me personally."

Torgan keeps his face straight. He knows that he might have gone a bit overboard in addressing the king. He deems it an acceptable risk for it cannot make the situation worse. It might amuse the king.

"And Torgan son of Sagra, tell me what your plans for the future are."

"My plans are whatever you deem the necessary punishment for attacking your lands, holy and exalted majesty."

Silence falls for a short while. It is broken by one of the lords speaking up. As Torgan does not understand the tongue, he cannot be sure who is being addressed. That only last until he hears the king speaking again. This time he speaks in the local tongue. He waits patiently for whenever he is being addressed even though he cannot wait to learn what the future will bring for him and his people. The conversation lasts for quite a while until he is being addressed again.

"Will you attack our lands again in the future?"

"No, Your holy and exalted majesty. We will not attack your lands again. Even our previous attack was against our will. We had no choice but to follow the Shadow least our people would be endangered. I apologize profoundly for the wrong we committed to you and your lands."

Torgan keeps his face straight waiting for the king's response. Internally, he berates himself. Why did he have to tell the king about how his people's relationship with the Shadow? It is not something he can undo. Nor does he believe that it will assure the king. Besides, it is not the kind of information the king can do anything with.

"What will you do were we to let you and your people return to your lands?"

"I am not sure, holy and exalted majesty. That is the decision of my father, Khan Sagra. I do believe that he will seek to focus our people on trading. It is what we were doing mostly in the past. As well as spreading our influence in the east."

Torgan is pleased with how smoothly he could answer. Especially because he is highly surprised by the king's question. Do they have a chance of being allowed to return home without being occupied? He does not dare to hope too much. As for what he told the king about spreading their influence. That is true from a certain point of view. They did spread their influence by occupying other clans. They do this both for acquiring more people and resources.

Even though he is lost in his thoughts, Torgan does not miss the king addressing the lords once more. This time, he does not have to wonder what they are talking about this time. No, he is certain that they are talking about his words with the king. He does not believe that the lords know the eastern trade language. They would have interacted with him when the king was questioning him.

He knows that the Lord's will advise their king on the best course of action. What they deem the best course, he believes. They all will have their own opinion and want to convince their king about it. He does not know what they are advising. Nor what the king's plans are. And nor how the king will handle the advice from his lords.

"Torgan, son of Sagra. You have invaded Gondor with the forces of Mordor. I recognize that you did it against your own will. Still, it does not excuse the crimes you have committed.

"Our judgment for your people and you will be this: you all will stay here for six more months to make up for the crimes you committed. You will do thus as you have been doing till now. You will repair the damages you created and aid the farmers with their preparations for the next harvest.

"After that time, the men who have left behind their families may return home. They will be accompanied by a delegation from Gondor. They will begin building a relationship with your people so that we will not face each other on the battlefield again. Those who have not left behind their families will stay for as long as it takes for us to be assured that there will be no new attack coming from your people."

"Thank you, Your holy and exalted majesty. You are too kind. I am grateful for mercy you show my people and myself."

Torgan bows and straightens again but keeps his head down. He waits for them to be dismissed. At a curt word from one of the lords, the guards pull him up and guide him out of the room.

* * *

**Prisoner camp**

Torgan lies in his yurt with his hand over his eyes. Only now that he has lied down, does he allow himself to feel the emotions that the king's words created? He feels surprised for the king's acceptance of his words. He never expected it at all. How could he? The easy acceptance of his words is simply strange. It has him wondering if the king has hidden powers.

So far, he has never heard anything that could confirm it. But he has heard rumors about how the king healed people that were deemed to be lost. Those that fell under the Spirit's Sleep. For as far as he knows and has seen, those people never wake up. They all die in time with no one able to aid them.

The healers have tried everything they could think of whenever they received such a patient. But nothing they tried could heal those that were affected. Even though it were but a few cases he has heard about, the thought still hurts him.

But thinking about the rumors confirms to him that the king has hidden powers. If the rumors are true. He knows how often rumors turn out to be false but with a truth hidden among it. As such the rumors are not something he can work with easily. At the same time, the rumors also do not tell him anything about why the king accepted his words so easily. He would have expected to be questioned about it when the king considered his words to be true. And not by the way the king did it. He accepted his words without any further questions. Torgan does not understand it at all. It is not as if the king can read minds, is it?

Shaking his head, Torgan knows that he needs to focus on the judgment he received. Not the reaction the king gave to his words. He needs to focus on the judgment to determine how he will explain it to his people. He has no idea how they will react to it. Will they accept it? Or will they become angry at him for causing it?

"Torgan, what has you so troubled?"

Naran's takes his hand from his eyes while talking. She holds the hand steadily in her own. He feels how she soothingly strokes his hand. Looking her in the face, he can see the worry in them.

"Does your worry have to do with the guards who took you with them earlier today? Where exactly did they take you?"

He smiles amused for it shows that he did not answer her quickly enough. Now, he knows that he needs to answer faster.

"It does concern the guards, Naran. They brought me before the king during today's audience. It was there that I received the king's judgment for our people."

Torgan sighs worriedly. He saw Naran frowning and tilting her head. She looks momentarily at him before averting her gaze. He sees her looking at the yurt wall. Right now, he would like to know what goes through her mind. But if he is honest with himself then he knows that she is considering his words. As well as the potential judgments she can imagine. After some time, she turns her head back to him.

"You worry about the way the people will react to the judgment, am I right?"

Raising his eyebrow, he looks Naran in her face. Since when has she become so perceptive? He does not know her as such. It confuses him immensely. Naran gives him an amused smile in return. So she has noticed her confusion. The amusement soon turns to elation.

"I am right! You worry just like my father. He would also worry like that when he had to give our people potentially bad news. Well, I will tell you the same thing that my mother always told my father: tell the in the news in the most careful way possible to the people and accept the reaction they give you."

Torgan looks at Naran considering her words. They clearly show that she has experienced something like that quite some times in the past. He begins to wonder how those situations. Shaking his head, he pulls his thoughts away from that. It is not important right now. He can do that later.

But for now, he will take on Naran's advice as it gives him the best angle to approach his problem. He turns his head back to Naran. She looks again worriedly at him. He smiles calmly at her and hopes that his appreciation for her advice is visible.

"Thank you, Naran. I know that I have little choice in the matter. I have to tell them. I will keep your advice in mind for it gives me the best angle to address our people."

Torgan takes her hand in his and kisses her on the cheek. Standing up, he leaves the yurt and walks to the central place. Once there, he gathers his people together. He calmly waits for everyone to gather before informing them about the judgment he received from the king.


End file.
